People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Said another way, what you do simply serves as a proof for what you believe.
What do Apple, the Orville Brothers, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have in common? They are all leaders in/for their respective industry or cause who inspire the rest of us by what they represent. We buy from them, we are motivated by them, and we follow them not because we have to, but because we want to. But what makes them any different from the countless others who attempt to win us over every day? Leaders influence us through their ‘Why’ first. That is to say that they follow the “Why->How->What” framework that Sinek codifies in this book. This is the direct opposite of most individuals and organizations, who attempt to influence or sell their ideas through the “What->How->Why” framework.
In business, politics, thought, and many other domains, these leaders focus on ‘the Why’ first. Sinek states that this comes down to pure biology and more specifically the evolution of our brains. He explains that the limbic brain is the portion that control decisions. Due to this, you might think that it’s the rational/logical part of our brain. You’d be dead wrong. The limbic brain is actually our animal brain. It has absolutely no capacity for language. You read that right–the very portion of our brain that’s responsible for making decisions isn’t linked to language. Ever been in a situation, business or otherwise, where you were swayed to make a decision based upon your gut? One choice might not have ‘felt’ right, but perhaps you couldn’t quite put to words what was off about that option. Many of life’s most important decisions come down to this same gut feeling, controlled by your emotional brain.
Knowing that, leaders in their respective industries and time periods appeal to the very thing that matters most to our limbic brains—the emotion or sense of belonging to a bigger group. As humans, this is one of our highest limbic desires. Thus, your best customers come from people who believe what you believe and buy into what you represent. They’re part of “your tribe.” In summary, in order to be a leader in whatever field you pursue, Sinek says you need to do the following:
- Clarify your “why”
- Discipline your “how”
- Remain consistent in your “what”
